Sylvester Stallone said that while he is “incredibly flattered” to be considered for an arts-related position in President-elect Donald Trump’s administration, he thinks he’ll be more effective working for veterans.
In a statement released by his publicist on Sunday, Stallone said: “I am incredibly flattered to have been suggested to be involved with the National Endowment of the Arts. However I believe I could be more effective by bringing national attention to returning military personnel in an effort to find gainful employment, suitable housing and financial assistance these heroes respectfully deserve.”
The Daily Mail reported on Thursday that Trump had approached the Rocky actor about the position, which was rumoured to be the chairman of the National Endowment for the Arts. Stallone’s spokesperson declined to comment at the time.
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“It’s been widely and wrongly assumed that a Trump presidency will be hostile to the arts,” a source tells the UK publication. “But Mr. Trump feels this sort of A-list appointment is precisely the shot in the arm that the industry needs.”
The National Endowment of Arts is responsible for distributing government grants to arts organizations and currently has an annual budget of $148 million.
Stallone spoke highly of Trump back in January.
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The Oscar-nominated actor once considered going into politics himself, after the mayor of Philadelphia told him he could get elected if he ran. His wife easily talked him out of it. “She said, ‘Are you crazy? He’s just being nice,'” he told Variety. “You’re not going to be elected. You don’t have that insatiable need to be embraced by people.'”
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The Twitterverse expressed their reactions towards the Stallone and Trump news:
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Stallone is the first widely known celebrity to be considered for Trump’s team. Early last week, Trump met with rapper Kanye West at the Trump Tower in New York, where the two discussed “multicultural issues,” and rumours are still swirling that West may be tapped to join Trump. Both camps, however, have denied the meeting was anything more than a simple chat.
The 70-year-old politician also met with actor Leonardo DiCaprio in early December to discuss preserving the environment and boosting the economy through green-centred jobs.
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